L. Forró szerk.: Miscellanea Zoologica Hungarica 10. 1995 (Budapest, 1995)
Nesemann, H., Pöckl, M.; Wittmann, K. J.: Distribution of epigean Malacostraca in the middle and upper Danube (Hungary, Austria, Germany)
L. benedeni was found in most rivers flowing to the Black and Caspian Sea (Danube, Ural, Volga, Don, Dniepr, Bug, Dniestr). In the majority of the Ponto-Caspian river systems, it was not found very far upstream from the mouth (e.g. km 200 in the Ural, Vvbynarovich 1955). In the Danube, it has been recorded continously from the delta as far upstream as rkm 400 in Romania (Bácescu 1940). The next records were made between Mohács and Budapest (Bácescu 1954, Vvbynarovich 1955), near Bratislava (rkm 1800, Bacescu 1954), from nine localities between Hainburg and the Kühwörther Wasser near Vienna (Weish & Türkay 1975) and in the main course of the Danube at rkm 1989 (Pöckl 1988). Wittmann (1995) documented the areal expansion, which proceeded in several steps from Vienna (rkm 1920) in 1982/83 to Passau (rkm 2228) in 1994. In the upper Danube the species is mainly known from waters, that are in connection with the main river at least in times of flood, whereas it is still rare in permanently isolated waters. Longterm monitoring in waters of Vienna revealed that Limnomysis may be distributed through tubes used for pumping water into the deadarms. By this way it entered the backwater Schillerwasser a few years before 1992, and the backwater Alte Donau in summer 1992. In both waters, the species was not found during thorough investigations in 1983-1986, whereas it is present in large quantities since 1993. Family Astacidae Austropotamobius torrentium (Schrank, 1805) Occasionally, the stone crayfish is found in the Danube (Jansky 1987), whereas it is very abundant in small cold creeks. Astacus astacus (Linnaeus, 1758) Rarely, the noble crayfish is found in stagnant waters near the Danube (Gemenc-section of the Danube, 1993, leg. Csányi, B.; Stopfenreuth, 1983, leg. Kinzelbach, R.; records published in Csányi et al. 1994, and Nesemann 1994). Astacus leptodactylus Eschscholz, 1823 Material: Danube at Harta, 05. 09. 1991; Danube at Dunaújváros, 05. 09.; Szentendrei Duna near Leányfalu, 04. 09. 1991, leg. Ofenböck, T. & H. Nesemann; Danube, in a deadwater lake Kühwörther Wasser between Schönau and Mühlleiten, 02. 1989; deadwater Alte Donau in Vienna, 31. 05. 1992, leg. Wittmann, K. L; pond Rosenteich in Vienna, 06. 08. 1992, leg. Storch, C. & M. Rössler. The distribution area of the Pontian crayfish A. leptodactylus includes the northwestern part of Asia Minor (Roth & Kinzelbach 1986), the Balkan Peninsula, the Pannonian lowlands, the middle and lower Danube valley, the basin of the Black, Caspian and Aral seas and their drainage systems, the Northeastern European lowlands and rivers flowing into the Baltic Sea and the adjacent regions of Asia. The description of a series of subspecies and species has brought some confusion in the nomenclature. Some relatives of the nominal species are also found in more or less brackish waters of the Caspian and the northwestern Black Sea. It is extending its range into Western Europe and - because of some economic importance as culinary delicacy - was introduced into all kinds of lakes and fishponds outside its original distribution area. In Central and Western Europe it is said to replace the noble crayfish Astacus astacus (Cukerzis 1968). The lower and middle Danube belongs to the original area of A. leptodactylus (Entz 1909,
